Protocol for Relaxation: Behavior Modification Tier 1

From: Overall KL. Clinical Behavioral Medicine for Small Animals, Mosby, St. Louis, 1997 and Overall KL. Manual of Clinical Behavioral Medicine for Dogs and Cats, Elsevier, St. Louis, 2011.

Protocol for relaxation: behavior modification tier 1

This protocol contains the essential, basic behavior modification program on which all more complex programs using desensitization (DS) and counter-conditioning (CC) will be built. This protocol can be used for both cats and dogs. The protocol is comprised of the following sections:

1. Introduction,
2. Starting out - roles for spontaneous reward and using the ‘shaping’ technique,
3. Description of the Protocol for relaxation - tier 1,
4. A note about food treats,
5. Understanding the reward process,
6. Getting the dog's or cat’s attention,
7. Avoiding problems,
8. The format for the Protocol,
9. The Protocol task sheets and tips for implementing these, and
10. Suggestions for future repetitions

There are 15 task sheets - enough to allow you to work steadily for at least 2 weeks at the fastest recommended pace. The speed with which you will complete this behavior modification program with your pet depends entirely on your pet’s response as explained below. There is no reward for speedy completion; however, the reward for successful completion is a happy, calm, less reactive and more interactive pet.

1. Introduction:

This program is the foundation program for all other behavior modification programs. You can see how this program should be done and learn about some pitfalls in the video, Humane Behavioral Care for Dogs: Problem Prevention and Treatment.

First, some advice: please do not be afraid of the term ‘behavior modification’. When most people hear this term they think of some complex set of exercises that will take hours a day. Not so. Behavior modification is nothing more than a set of exercises that lead to changes in behavior. You can practice these for 2 minutes 10 times a day, 5 minutes a day, 30 minutes a day, or 20 minutes twice a day - whatever works best for you and your pet.

A cautionary note is warranted: please do not feel that you shoulddo this. If you feel that this program is a troublesome imposition and a burden, you will not be able to use it as a tool that empowers you and makes your relationship with your pet better. Please, do not set a schedule you cannot keep, or one that makes you feel rushed or burdened. Will your pet improve more slowly if you work less often and for shorter periods of time with the program? Yes. But if you resent working with your pet, feel that you should do so, and cram a long exercise into an already over-burdened schedule, you will resent the program and your pet, and you will not do it correctly, anyway. Instead, work with a realistic schedule for you and work at your pet’s pace. You will both be happier, and as your pet improves, you will be more willing to work with them.

Accordingly, you should realize that this Protocol can also be used as a preventative program for puppies and kittens. In fact, if everyone used the Protocol for deference, the Protocol for teaching your dog to take a deep breath (and use other biofeedback methods as part of relaxation) and this Protocol as the rule structure for teaching puppies and kittens or newly adopted cats and dogs appropriate behaviors, we would likely prevent most behavioral complaints, or recognize and treat concerns earlier. The single biggest mistake that veterinarians and trainers make is to forget about the preventative use of these types of programs.

Before your read further please note - this is notyour typical ‘behavior mod’ program. This program differs from most other behavior programs in that the behavior you are rewarding is subtle, and the better you get at rewarding the subtleties - the faster your dog or cat will improve.

The purpose of this Protocol is to teach the dog or cat to sit and stay while relaxingin a variety of circumstances. It’s important that you understand that there is nothing magical about just sitting. Sitting is helpful because a sit acts as a ‘stop’ signal understood by us, dogs and cats, and it helps focus your pet on the task and on your signals. In dogs, sitting is a deferential behavior, and it’s the rare dog who will not sit and then look to another individual for instructions or information about what is to come next. However - and this is a hugehowever - dogs can sit and look at you, and still be terrified or concerned. If you reward the dog or cat when he or she is exhibiting any behavior other than a relaxed, calm pose, you have just inadvertently also rewarded anxiety, fear, and distress. This is notwhat you want to do. Because of this, your pet should be able to comply with the Protocol for deference, the Protocol for teaching your dog to take a deep breath (and use other biofeedback methods as part of relaxation) before starting this protocol. If your dog or cat cannot sit and stay, see theProtocol for cats and dogs teaching “sit”, “stay”, and “come”.

2. Starting out - roles for spontaneous reward and using the ‘shaping’ technique:

Before you start this program, learn what a relaxed facial and body expression in your pet looks like. Practice rewarding this expression. See the Protocol for teaching your dog to take a deep breath (and use other biofeedback methods as part of relaxation) for one approach. If you can only get the animal to look calm and relaxed for a few seconds at first, that’s fine.....you can gradually expand the time they stay relaxed by rewarding the behavior every time it occurs and while it is continuing to occur.

If you cannot get the ‘relaxed look’ at all - go for one that is less distressed - then use a technique called ‘shaping’. When you use shaping you continually reward behaviors that are better approximations of the behavior you want. When your pet backslides…and they will, please do not shriek at them. Instead, just ignore the anxious behaviors that are not going in the direction that you want (e.g., more relaxed). For example, if, no matter what you do, the dog’s eyes are popping out of his head and he’s panting, just walk away and quit. This is not an endurance test. Then, when the dog spontaneously exhibits calm behaviors, maybe even before he goes to sleep, reward those calm behaviors. Softly telling your pets that they are wonderful when they are already asleep is the least used trick to improve their behavior, but it works! Don’t startle them, don’t pet them, just quietly commend them.

For very, very anxious dogs, before you can even start this program, you will have to spend a lot of time spontaneously rewarding the dog when he or she exhibits the relaxed behavior just in the context of everyday life. Only then will that dog be able to move on to having his behavior shaped in response to a request. Dogs should not be starting this Protocol until they can be and have been rewarded for a sufficient number of calm, spontaneous behaviors that they have learned that such behaviors are valued by you. Working consistently with the Protocol for deference, especially when coupled with tangible rewards like food treats, will help speed this initial process.

3. Description of the Protocol for relaxation - tier 1:

The circumstances under which you will work with your pet in this Protocol change from very reassuring ones where you are present, to potentially more stressful ones where you are absent and acting pretty strangely. You may wish to tailor the program to your specific needs and lifestyle. Please remember that the point of the program is not to teach the dog or cat to sit; sitting (or lying down, if the dog or cat is more comfortable) is only a tool. The 5 main points of the program are to teach the dog or cat to:

(1) relax,

(2) attend to you for cues about the appropriateness of their current behavior and information about what is to come next,

(3) to defer to you,

(4) to enjoy earning a salary for an appropriate, desirable behavior, and

(5) to develop, as a foundation, a pattern of calm, relaxed behaviors that will then let the dog cooperate with future behavior modification (generally desensitization and counter-conditioning).

This Protocol will act as a foundation for teaching the dog or cat context-specific appropriate behavior. The focus, here, is to teach the dog or cat to rely on you for all the cues as to the appropriateness of his behavior so that they can then learn not to react inappropriately.

4. A note about food treats:

This program utilizes food treats. Please read about the logic of using food treats in the Protocol for deference: basic program. Remember, the treats are to be used as a salary or reward -- not as a bribe. If you bribe a problem dog you are sunk before you start. It is often difficult to work with a problem dog that had learned to manipulate bribes, but there are creative ways around this, some of which may involve head collars. Head collars are humane ways to prevent biting, to help the dog to focus on you, and you stop dogs from bolting away or jumping up. For more information about these, please see: Protocol for choosing collars, head collars, harnesses, and leads.

First, find a food that your petlikes, but doesn’t get all the time. Suggestions include boiled, slivered chicken, freeze dried liver, or tiny pieces of cheese. Boiled, shredded chicken can be frozen in small portions and defrosted as needed. Individually wrapped slices of cheese can be divided into tiny pieces suitable for behavior modification through the plastic, minimizing waste and mess. Tinned shrimp can be drained and frozen individually in a plastic container - then you can take out and defrost only what you need. Very young kittens and puppies will like salty, yeasty dabs (e.g., Vegemite®, Marmite®) that can be placed on their nose or lips. Whatever you choose, the following are guidelines:

1.foods that are high in protein may help induce changes in brain chemistry that help the dog to relax,

2.dogs and cats should not have chocolate because it can be toxic to them,

3.some dogs and cats do not do well with treats that contain artificial colors or preservatives, so you may wish to avoid semi-moist treats

4.dogs and cats with food allergies or those taking drugs that are monoamine oxidase inhibitors may have food restrictions (e.g., some cheeses for dogs taking MAOIs (e.g., Preventics Collars®, Anipryl®),

5.dog biscuits generally are not sufficiently interesting for some of the work needed here, but some foods are so desirable that the dog is too stimulated by them to relax -- you want something in between these two extremes,

6.treats should be tiny (less than ½ of a thumbnail) so that the dog or cat does not get full, fat, or ‘bored’ with them,

7.if the dog or cat stops responding for one kind of treat, try another, and

8.do not let treats make up the bulk of the dog's or cat’s diet -- they need their normal, well-balanced ration.

That said, people have been reduced to tears because they have felt that they cannot use treats to reward a dog or cat who is fat, and their veterinarian has warned them about the dangers of obesity. Obesity is not good, but by working with a veterinary nutritionist, a program that factors in food treats and minimizes weight gain can easily be created. For most pets, if they gain a little bit of weight, it’s not tragic, they can lose it when they are better. Remember: behavioral problems will kill pets faster than does obesity. Sometimes in life we have to make some trade-offs.

5. Understanding the reward process:

There is an art to rewarding dogs and cats with food treats. Learning to do so correctly will help the dog or cat to focus on the clients’ instructions and will keep everyone safe. To prevent the dog from lunging for the food, keep the already prepared treats in a little cup or baggie behind your back, and keep one treat in the hand that you'll use to reward the dog. That hand can then either be kept behind your back so that the dog or cat doesn't stare at the food, or can be moved to your eye so that you can teach the dog to look happy and make eye contact with you. The food treat must be small so that the focus of the dog's or cat’s attention is not a slab of food, but rather your cues. A treat that is the correct size can be closed in the palm of your hand just by folding it, and will not be apparent when held between the thumb and forefingers. When presenting the dog or cat with the treat, bring the hand, with a lightly closed fist, up quickly to the dog (do notstartle the dog or cat), and turn your wrist to open your hand, as you say “Good boy / girl!”.

When first starting the program, let the dog or cat smell and taste the reward so that he or she knows what the reward for the work will be. If your pet is too terrified to approach, you can place a small amount of the treat on the floor. Then ask the dog to "sit"; if the dog or cat sits instantly, say "Good girl (boy)!" and instantly open your hand to give the treat instantly while saying "stay." Two tips: (1) whisper –most troubled pets have experienced enough screaming to last a lifetime, (2) use an ‘upbeat’ voice with a lilt at the end.....pets respond to tone and you will need to watch yours.

6. Getting the dog's or cat’s attention:

If the dog or cat does not sit instantly, call his name again, and as soon as your pet looks at or attends to you say "sit." If you cannot get your dog or cat to look at you and pay attention, don't keep saying "sit." If you continue to give a request that you cannot reinforce, all you will do is teach the recipient to ignore that your request. This isn’t what you want.

If necessary, use a whistle or make an unusual sound with your lips to get your pet's attention. As soon as the dog or cat looks at you say "sit." Use a cheerful voice. Some people find that they have to soften or lower their voice almost to a whisper to get the dog to pay attention to them. This is usually because, in the past,the dog or cat has had all ‘commands’ delivered in a forceful voice, and that tone is now ignored.

If the dog or cat is looking at you but not sitting, approach and lessen the distance between the two of you, raise the treat gently to your eyes, and request "sit." Often just moving toward a dog helps that dog to sit. Not only have you decreased the distance between you, but now to look at your eyes the dog must raise his head, a behavior often accompanied with sitting. You can use these innate dog behaviors as long as you are careful. This means:

(1) Never force a growling dog to back up.

(2) Never corner a fearful dog or cat.

(3) Never continue to approach a dog or cat that is getting more aggressive the closer you come.

Remember, the point of this Protocolis to teach the dog or cat to relax and look to you for the cues about the appropriateness of his behavior. No one can do this if he or she is upset.

If the dog still will not sit for your request, consider using a head collar (see Protocol for choosing collars, head collars, harnesses, and leads). If your dog or cat is wearing a head collar or harness you may be able to use a long-distance lead to help you to request that the dog or cat "sit", by gently getting their attention. You must be able to reward your pet with a treat as soon as sitting occurs.

***CAUTIONARY NOTE***

If your dog is aggressive, or if you are afraid to approach him or her, do not do any of these exercises off-lead until the dog is perfect on-lead. Please consider working with a good, modern, educated and certified dog traineror veterinary professional to help you fit the dog with a head collar and work with the dog only on a lead. A head collar allows you to close the dog's mouth if the dog begins to be aggressive. This is an ideal ‘correction’ because you have interrupted the dog's inappropriate behavior within the first few seconds of the onset of the behavior and the behavioral process so that the dog can learn from the experience, if they are not made fearful.